Champions (Tony Isabella, Chris Claremont, & Bill Mantlo)

Introduces the original Champions team, consisting of Angel, Iceman, Black Widow, Hercules, and Johnny Blaze. The first three issues, written by Tony Isabella, focus on the team's formation and attempting to save Venus and Hercules from their fellow Olympians. The fourth issue, written by Chris Claremont, focuses on the team confronting Dr. Edward Lansing, who had been experimenting on the San Marino State Hospital's patients. The fifth and sixth issues, by Tony Isabella, introduce and pit the Champions against Stuart Clarke/Rampage, who robs banks in order to save his dying company, as well as elect Black Widow their leader. The final 11 issues are all written by Bill Mantlo. Issues 7-10 pits the Champions against a new Crimson Dynamo (Yuri Petrovitch), Titanium Man, Darkstar (later joins the team), and Griffin. In issues 11-13, they are allied with Black Goliath, Hawkeye, and Two-Gun Kid, and pitted against Warlord Kaa, Stilt-Man, the Stranger, and Kamo-Tharn. Issues 14-15 introduce and pit them against Swarm. In issue 16, they are allied with the Hulk, Beast, and Magneto against Doctor Doom, who had attempted to control the mind of President Jimmy Carter. In issue 17, they fight Sentinels, Vanisher, Unus the Untouchable, the Blob, and Lorelei. The first two and fifth issues are penciled by Don Heck, while 3, 4, 6, 7, and 17 by George Tuska, 8-10, and 16 by Bob Hall, 11-15 by John Byrne.